A TikTok cooking star became a Richmonder this spring. She's a fan.
TikTok star Susi Vidal, who is known for her innuendo-laced cooking videos that are watched by millions, found herself living in Richmond this year.
Her cooking videos, which she calls “OnlyPans,” have amassed 3.5 million followers in just three years – thanks in part to a trauma-dumping trend that spread like wildfire on the platform in 2023.
“Call me crazy if you want,” she said in a video, “but I’ve never liked store-bought pesto.”
Users stitched this opening line alongside tales of their truly traumatic or embarrassing moments, and she went viral. But being known to some as “Store-Bought Pesto Girl” doesn’t bother her. On the contrary, Vidal has taken the joke and turned it into a brand of her own.
A Kickers connection
She ended up in RVA – although only temporarily – because of her boyfriend Ryan Shellow, who signed with the Richmond Kickers this year after being with Detroit City for the past two years.
“It’s been a fantastic experience to move around the country with him,” she said.
Vidal has been in Richmond since March and said she’s a big fan of both Richmond’s historic charm and its locals.
“I love walking around the neighborhoods with my dog, Stella, and reading the facts posted on various buildings throughout the city,” she said. “I recently went to The Poe Museum and for days couldn’t stop thinking about how he walked the same streets I do daily. I’ve enjoyed going to everyone’s favorite local spots such as Belle Isle, Hollywood Cemetery, and Carytown.”
Richmond “makes it easy to feel at home,” she said. “The locals I have met are immensely friendly and are proud to be Richmonders. Their attitude is contagious.”
Becoming 'internet famous'
She cited COVID-era boredom and the quest for a creative outlet as the genesis of her videos.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed making videos,” she said. “Growing up, it consisted of family vlogs and forcing my siblings to act out random skits I’d write."
Her first TikToks were latte-making and nursing school content, but then she got the idea to do something different.
“I worked as a barista during most of college,” she said. “At this time, OnlyFans (an adult-content site) was exploding on social media. I got a few comments asking if I’d ever make one. No shade to those who do, but it wasn’t for me.”
It sparked her idea of OnlyPans – “cooking fully clothed while saying innuendos,” as she describes it.
“My goal in creating the videos was to show how cooking can be silly, fun, and somewhat simple,” she says. “I’m not a trained chef and started cooking in college. These past couple years I’ve been focusing more time on expanding my culinary skills.”
When asked how she feels about becoming “internet famous,” she said it actually doesn’t cross her mind very often.
“Many days go by with me forgetting that I’m ‘internet famous’” she said. “I think it’s due to the fact that I’d most likely be living a very similar life as I do now. I met my partner before my social media became a full-time job.”
Impressions of RVA
When Vidal moved to Richmond, she thought she was headed to a small town, something she quickly realized was incorrect.
Coming from the desert in Tucson, Arizona, she said Richmond has been a nice change of pace with its “greenery, abundance of trees, and animals.”
“The landscape is drastically different from where I came from and I’m honored to be able to experience it," she said. "I cannot wait for the weather to start getting cooler and to experience the trees change colors in the fall. I’m also ecstatic to visit the wineries this fall out in Charlottesville.”
She said she’s also been able to experience some great restaurants while here. Some of her favorites: Stella’s, Kismet, Mekong, Jack Brown’s, Blue Atlas, Brookland Park Kitchen and Garnett’s Cafe.
“They all encompass the culture, diversity, and uniqueness of Richmond," she said. "I’m drawn to the delicious food and atmosphere of all of these restaurants.”
Living in Richmond is temporary for Vidal – but she said she’ll definitely be back to visit.
“I only got to experience the last 2 days of Hot Tomato Summer and need to come back for it next summer if I’m gone,” she said. “I have met such amazing people in my short amount of time in RVA, that I don’t think I’d be able to stay away.”
